/growth

Audit Checklist P5–P9 — Growth Loops (29 items)

Stanza format, flags, status vocabulary, and new-app: semantics are defined in SKILL.md. Evidence keys (EV.*) are defined in detection-playbook.md. IDs are stable — never renumber.

P5 — Experimentation

P5.1 Product Page Optimization running as a habit — core

• detect: MCP EV.ppo
• rule: ✅ a PPO experiment ran in the last 2 quarters or after the last asset change · 🟠 ran once, long ago · 🔴 never (up to 3 treatments on organic traffic, one variable at a time)
• new-app: defer — activates ~30 days post-launch (needs traffic)
• fix: generators/product-page-optimization → /apple:experiment

P5.2 Custom Product Pages for distinct audiences

• detect: MCP EV.cpp
• rule: ✅ CPPs live, mapped to audiences/campaigns AND search keywords assigned per page (35 slots) · 🟠 pages exist but unkeyed/token · 🔴 none despite distinct audiences · ⚪ genuinely single-audience app
• new-app: defer
• fix: generators/custom-product-pages → /apple:experiment

P5.3 Creative Assets: Product Page Header + Search Results visuals

• detect: HYBRID — Asset Library state isn't exposed via the current MCP tools, so MANUAL ("header/search creative assets submitted in the Asset Library?") with EV.meta/EV.ppo as partial signals
• rule: ✅ header + search visuals live (pre-approved in the Asset Library, refreshed with campaigns) · 🟠 assets prepared but not submitted · 🔴 still default screenshots everywhere (surfaces render on iOS 27/iPadOS 27)
• new-app: plan — design header/search assets alongside the screenshot set
• fix: app-store/screenshot-planner (Creative Assets section) → /apple:screenshots

P5.4 In-app events cadence + badge variety

• detect: MCP EV.events
• rule: ✅ ≥1 event per quarter, badges varied by purpose · 🟠 sporadic events · 🔴 never used · applies-if: app has event-worthy moments (else ⚪)
• new-app: defer
• fix: generators/in-app-events → /apple:event
• note: new badge types (Now On Sale, Try Before You Buy) are ⏳ ANNOUNCED (WWDC26) — recheck each audit

P6 — Featuring & free discovery

P6.1 Featuring nominations as a rolling calendar — core, RECURRING

• detect: MANUAL Q8 + the scorecard's Recurring Calendar
• rule: ✅ nomination submitted for the current cycle AND next moment scheduled 6–8 weeks ahead · 🟠 submitted once, no calendar · 🔴 never nominated
• new-app: plan — first nomination at launch (launches are featuring moments)
• fix: generators/featuring-nomination → ASC manual (calendar maintained by the audit)

P6.2 New-OS APIs adopted at launch

• detect: HYBRID — EV.code.newapis + MANUAL timing (shipped within the new OS's launch window?)
• rule: ✅ current-cycle APIs adopted in a launch-window release (the most reliable featuring trigger) · 🟠 adopted late · 🔴 still targeting only old APIs
• new-app: code — build against the current SDK's new surfaces from day one
• fix: /apple:modernize — standalone: design/ + apple-intelligence/ adoption skills

P6.3 Secondary category set

• detect: MCP EV.meta (categories)
• rule: ✅ secondary category set and deliberately chosen (second chart presence) · 🔴 empty
• new-app: plan
• fix: /apple:ship (category step) — standalone: app-store/marketing-strategy (decision-matrix)

P6.4 Checkbox storefronts shipped where sensible

• detect: HYBRID — EV.code.platforms + EV.territories
• rule: ✅ viable easy ports shipped (Mac via Catalyst/iPad-on-Mac, visionOS, watchOS, tvOS — tiny catalogs, easy charts and featuring) · 🟠 viable port identified but not shipped · ⚪ no sensible port
• new-app: plan — check the checkbox platforms at project setup
• fix: /apple:new-app (platform choice) / /apple:plan — standalone: visionos/, watchos/, ios/ipad-patterns

P6.5 App Intents as an out-of-store discovery channel

• detect: CODE EV.code.intents + EV.code.spotlight
• rule: ✅ App Shortcuts + Spotlight indexing shipped (Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts become discovery surfaces) · 🟠 intents exist but no AppShortcutsProvider/Spotlight · 🔴 none
• new-app: code
• fix: apple-intelligence/app-intents + generators/spotlight-indexing → /apple:plan

P6.6 Web presence: apps.apple.com SEO + landing page + Smart App Banner

• detect: MANUAL Q9 (CODE if a web repo is at hand)
• rule: ✅ landing page live with Smart App Banner, store page ranks for the app's name queries · 🟠 landing page only · 🔴 no web presence
• new-app: plan — the store's web page ranks on Google from day one; give it help
• fix: app-store/web-presence

P7 — Paid & external traffic

P7.1 Apple Ads ladder: discovery → exact-match winners (+ CPP pairing)

• detect: MANUAL Q4 + EV.cpp (paired pages)
• rule: ✅ discovery feeding exact-match campaigns, winners paired with matching CPPs · 🟠 ads running unstructured · 🔴/⚪ no ads (⚪ if deliberately organic-only and P1–P6 healthy)
• new-app: defer — paid comes after the free machinery works
• fix: app-store/apple-search-ads → /apple:aso if installed

P7.2 Brand term defended

• detect: MANUAL Q4
• rule: ✅ brand campaign live (competitors bid on your name; brand CPAs are cheap) · 🟠 unsure · 🔴 brand undefended while competitors bid · applies-if: running ads or brand has search volume
• new-app: defer
• fix: app-store/apple-search-ads

P7.3 ASA→organic halo tracked

• detect: MANUAL
• rule: ✅ organic rank movement watched on paid keywords (paid conversion lifts organic rank) · 🟠 not tracked · ⚪ no ads
• new-app: defer
• fix: app-store/apple-search-ads + growth/store-signals → /apple:learn-from-store

P7.4 Compressed launch spikes

• detect: MANUAL Q10 / .planning/ launch plan
• rule: ✅ last major release compressed Product Hunt + press embargo + newsletter into 48h (chart velocity beats volume) · 🟠 channels used but spread out · 🔴 launches go out quietly
• new-app: plan — write the spike plan before launch week
• fix: growth/press-media + growth/community-building → /apple:release-notes (assets)

P7.5 Deal-site ecosystem used for price drops

• detect: MANUAL Q9
• rule: ✅ price drops timed knowing aggregators auto-scrape them (spike → chart climb → organic tail) · 🟠 price drops happen unannounced · ⚪ free app, no price to drop
• new-app: defer
• fix: app-store/web-presence (deal-site section)

P7.6 Pre-orders used (including regionally)

• detect: MANUAL Q11 + EV.territories
• rule: ✅ pre-orders used at launch or regionally when entering new storefronts (up to 180 days of accumulated taps) · 🟠 known but unused at last opportunity · ⚪ no upcoming launch/expansion
• new-app: plan — decide pre-order length before first submission
• fix: generators/pre-orders → /apple:ship

P7.7 Offer codes distributed

• detect: MANUAL Q11 + EV.iaps/EV.subs
• rule: ✅ URL-redeemable codes in use for influencers/communities/conferences · 🟠 configured, never distributed · 🔴 unused despite subs/IAP · applies-if: has subs/IAP
• new-app: defer
• fix: generators/offer-codes-setup → /apple:subscription

P7.8 TestFlight public link as a waitlist

• detect: MANUAL Q11
• rule: ✅ public link doubled as pre-launch waitlist (up to 10k testers → day-one installers) · 🟠 TestFlight private-only pre-launch · ⚪ already long-launched with no major relaunch coming
• new-app: plan
• fix: product/beta-testing → /apple:testflight

P8 — Earnings

P8.1 Paywall + pricing experiments — core

• detect: HYBRID — EV.code.paywall + MANUAL Q12
• rule: ✅ paywall variable (trial length, intro offer, layout) tested in the last 2 quarters · 🟠 paywall shipped, never experimented · 🔴 no deliberate paywall · applies-if: monetized
• new-app: plan (paywall) / defer (experiments)
• fix: generators/paywall-generator + monetization → /apple:subscription

P8.2 Win-back offers configured

• detect: MCP EV.subs (offers) — MANUAL fallback
• rule: ✅ win-back offers live (the App Store surfaces them to lapsed subscribers by itself) · 🔴 not configured · applies-if: subscriptions ≥ minimum eligibility
• new-app: defer
• fix: generators/win-back-offers → /apple:subscription

P8.3 Retention Messaging (save offer at cancel)

• detect: MANUAL Q ("Retention Messaging configured in ASC → Subscriptions?") — EV.subs partial signal
• rule: ✅ message + retention offer live on the cancel confirmation page, tested in sandbox · 🟠 message-only (no offer — offers reached +5.5pts save-rate lift vs +1.4 average in Apple's data) · 🔴 not configured · applies-if: auto-renewable subscriptions
• new-app: defer — activates with the first live subscribers
• note: ASC tier open to all developers; the real-time server API stays access-gated (interest form + sandbox performance test)
• fix: generators/win-back-offers (Retention Messaging section) → /apple:subscription

P8.4 US web checkout / External Purchase Links — core

• detect: HYBRID — CODE EV.code.extpurchase + MANUAL Q13
• rule: ✅ shipped with commission-flip architecture + analytics from day one (currently 0% commission; litigation ongoing — re-verify) · 🟠 planned/considered · 🔴 not considered · applies-if: US storefront + digital goods revenue
• new-app: plan — architect the flip switch before you need it
• fix: monetization/external-purchases

P8.5 Cross-developer bundles & suites

• detect: MANUAL Q14
• rule: ✅ partnered bundle live or in motion with complementary indie apps · 🟠 explored · ⚪ no sensible partner category
• new-app: defer
• fix: monetization/bundles-and-licensing

P8.6 Group Purchases + Volume Purchasing

• detect: HYBRID — EV.subs (StoreKit 2 subscriptions exist; volume price bands not exposed via current MCP tools) + MANUAL ("volume price bands configured? group value merchandised?")
• rule: ✅ volume pricing bands set (≤5) and group purchase merchandised where a team/school/family-of-buyers segment exists · 🟠 live-by-default but never configured (every seat sells at full price) · 🔴 institutional demand exists, nothing configured · applies-if: auto-renewable subs on StoreKit 2 + a multi-seat buyer segment
• note: live for StoreKit 2 subscriptions (WWDC26) — on by default; Family Sharing-enabled subs are opted out by default
• new-app: plan — decide the seats model with the subscription design
• fix: monetization/bundles-and-licensing → /apple:subscription

P8.7 Own-app bundles + Family Sharing

• detect: MCP EV.iaps + EV.subs (familySharable) + MANUAL (bundles)
• rule: ✅ Family Sharing enabled where it fits AND multi-app developers bundle their own apps · 🟠 either unexamined · ⚪ single free app · applies-if: paid/subs
• new-app: plan
• fix: monetization/bundles-and-licensing → /apple:subscription

P9 — Retention loop & ops

P9.1 Retention surfaces shipped

• detect: CODE — EV.code.onboarding, EV.code.notifications, EV.code.widgets, EV.code.liveactivity
• rule: ✅ onboarding + notifications + at least one ambient surface (widget/Live Activity) · 🟠 some · 🔴 none (retention feeds both ranking and LTV)
• new-app: code
• fix: generators/onboarding-generator, push-notifications, widget-generator, live-activity-generator → /apple:plan

P9.2 Quarterly keyword refresh from ASA search-term reports — core, RECURRING

• detect: MANUAL Q15 + the scorecard's Recurring Calendar
• rule: ✅ refresh done within the last quarter with search-term data · 🟠 refreshed without paid-data input · 🔴 keywords untouched for two-plus quarters
• new-app: defer — first refresh one quarter after launch
• fix: app-store/keyword-optimizer (advanced-tactics §14) → /apple:metadata

P9.3 Update freshness

• detect: MCP EV.meta (current version's release recency)
• rule: ✅ shipped within ~8–12 weeks (each release re-triggers indexing + freshness signals) · 🟠 3–6 months · 🔴 6+ months stale
• new-app: ⚪ pre-launch
• fix: /apple:next-version — standalone: growth/store-signals for what to ship

P9.4 The re-run loop is closed — RECURRING

• detect: the scorecard itself — Recurring Calendar rows have last done within cadence
• rule: ✅ PPO re-run after last asset change, featuring calendar rolling, benchmarks rechecked · 🟠 calendar exists, rows overdue · 🔴 no calendar
• new-app: plan — seed the calendar at launch
• fix: this skill (re-audit) + generators/product-page-optimization + growth/analytics-interpretation